How a prison drug smuggling plot was busted

John WeekesJohn is a court reporter for News Regional. He previously worked as a police reporter, breaking news reporter, and Sunday newspaper journalist covering politics, entertainment and consumer affairs.

A PLAN to smuggle drugs into prison by way of a jail visitor's bra has landed an inmate in more trouble.

Anthony William Cubby allegedly conspired with a relative and with a fellow prisoner to sneak the opioid buprenorphine into jail.

Brisbane District Court heard the other inmate's partner was caught with 36 tablets of the drug in her brassiere.

Cubby, a Toowoomba father aged 28, was busted after prison phone calls were recorded and the woman brought the tablets to jail during a scheduled visit.

The Crown said Cubby had hoped to benefit financially from bringing the drugs in.

Prosecutor Ryder Reid said Cubby had a "lengthy and diverse" criminal history.

Cubby in 2013 was convicted along with two co-offenders after turning the tables on a road rage attacker.

The road rager was beaten up at a Toowoomba Caltex service station after rear-ending a car Cubby's friend was driving.

Defence counsel Frank Martin said the 28-year-old had been moved "from prison to prison to prison" and incarcerated at jails including Maryborough and Wacol.

He had recently spent a lot of time with restricted access to prison facilities and lengthy spells alone, the court heard.

After being told Cubby had it tougher than jail than most inmates, Judge Douglas McGill said: "I dare say that's right but no doubt the persistent offending hasn't helped. Prospects of rehabilitation are not looking good at the moment."

The court heard Cubby had been in custody for much of the time since 2011.

At the time of the buprenorphine plot, he was serving time after teaming up with an inmate to break another prisoner's jaw.

Cubby also had previous convictions for drug and weapons offences, the court heard.